Wu-Tang Clan's RZA Celebrated His 56th Birthday Jamming Out to Phish
The hip-hop legend even got a shout-out from Phish drummer Jon Fishman during the band's epic half-hour cover of one of their favorites, the Talking Heads' 1980 track 'Crosseyed and Painless,' when, around the 4:15 mark, Fishman yelled, 'Happy Birthday Rizz!' Lead singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio then got in on the action, weaving in a bit of the 'Happy Birthday' song before shouting 'Wu-Tang Forever.'
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RZA also got some additional love backstage, where he hung out with the band and got his hands on one of Anastasio's custom Paul Languedoc guitars. In a series of pics, the rapper and director grabs a hold of the instrument and then appears to give it a few strums before holding it up like a sword while posing with the whole band.
In the photo post of the special summit, the band had some fun, quoting the Wu-Tang's '7th Chamber Pt. II' in the caption, which read: 'Ruler Zig-Zag-Zig Allah jam is fatalQuick to stick my Wu-Tang Jedi guitar right through your navel. Happy birthday Bobby Diggs!#WuTang4ever,' replacing the original lyric's sword with a more rocking six-string reference. RZA reposted the Phish-y images on his Insta feed, along with some other highlights from his b-day celebration, including a snap of a giant sheet cake emblazoned with the Wu-Tang logo.
The Wu-Tang's Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber farewell run will hit Detroit's Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday night (July 8), while Phish's summer tour rolls on Wednesday night (July 9) with a show in Columbus, OH at the Schottenstein Center.
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CNN
12 minutes ago
- CNN
What the Recent Obsession with Yachts Says About Class in America - The Assignment with Audie Cornish - Podcast on CNN Podcasts
Audie Cornish 00:00:00 Welcome to The Assignment, I'm Audie Cornish. You know, yacht season is a meaningless term to me, but this year it feels like the people enjoying yacht season won't shut up about it. Bethenny Frankel 00:00:11 We're not allowed to say the word yacht, but like a yacht. Audie Cornish 00:00:13 For example, this is Bethany Bethenny Frankel, grand dame of reality TV Housewives. Listen closely and you hear something very specific in this post. She's talking about the yacht as a public milestone of aspirational success. Bethenny Frankel 00:00:30 I'm not broke anymore and I work hard and I'm getting a boat for me and the nepo baby and I am so excited. I recognize that people are not in this position, but I'm really excited. And it feels really good. I can't believe it. I can believe it like I did this. And one day you'll do it. Audie Cornish 00:00:49 'This month, the Ritz-Carlton launched a new super yacht with a literal boat full of celebrities and rich kids of Instagram. It's imagery that goes beyond paparazzi long lens shots of A-listers sunning themselves. These are daily reminders that the super rich, they're not like us. Evan Osnos 00:01:08 It's because these objects have become these symbols of the ultimate level of exclusivity, of luxury, of indulgence, of satisfaction. All of these quite abstract concepts that companies are desperate to try to be associated with have sort of settled and distilled into this one. Very distinct world of yachts that are the most expensive objects that our species has ever figured out how to own. Audie Cornish 00:01:46 'So what makes this gilded age so different from the last one? Why is extreme wealth being disguised as aspirational, yet relatable social media content? Just what is the message for all of us normies? Evan Osnos from The New Yorker, has the answer, back in a moment. Evan Osnos literally wrote the book on this stuff. It's called 'The Have and the Have Yachts: Dispatches on the Ultra-Rich.' Full disclosure, we're friends. And so I say this lovingly, Evan is not rich, but he has this look about him, good hair and confidence probably, that allows him to, as the New York Times reviewer noted, pass as an insider among the super rich. Evan Osnos 00:02:28 Something in the culture of the yacht is the idea that you'll find yourself in unexpected proximity with people who you might not assume you would know. And this is part of the appeal. I mean, I think many of us might remember a few years ago there were images of, for instance, the Obamas and Bruce Springsteen and Oprah. This is all on one particular voyage out on a yacht owned by David Geffen, the former Hollywood tycoon. And there was something about the odd combination of people where you would say what is it that this group and it was Tom Hanks and others and so there was something that appealed to our instincts to want to have different entry points into the pop culture moment. There were different kinds of viewers who would have looked at that scene and said, oh, I'd like to know what that conversation was like around the lunch table. And later when Oprah was asked about it, she said, you know, what happens on the yacht stays on the yard. And so that maintaining some sense of the perception at least of exclusivity is essential to the stew. That's part of what makes it appealing to people on the outside. Audie Cornish 00:03:51 You know, one of the things I didn't get to hear you talk about in other interviews is below deck. Like the yachties, apparently they're called, the people who work on these ships. And every time I see a picture of a super yacht and then that weird looking boat that follows it, and you know what I mean, you got to explain to someone like, oh no, that's where literally the other half lives. Um, but tell me about the other half because I don't know what it must be like. To service this world of people enjoying this luxury. Evan Osnos 00:04:25 'So the world of the yachty is a bargain that they make, which is that in exchange for essentially round the clock labor and a posture of complete and total service, they get adventure, they get life around the world in a luxurious environment and a salary that depending on where you sit in the packing order is either decent or... Pretty grim. If you are somebody who's at the lower ranks of the hierarchy, and boats are extremely hierarchical environments. I mean, they sort of borrow that from the rest of nautical culture. And so if you're somebody whose job is to clean the guest rooms, that's not just a regular level of cleaning. I've talked to a lot of crew members who describe the experience of, I mean, quite literally using a. A Q-tip, for instance, to clean the rim of a toilet in order to achieve the most maximal conceivable level of immaculate cleanliness. Or they'll use- Audie Cornish 00:05:31 Slash humiliation Evan Osnos 00:05:33 'And yeah, that's a big piece of the operation. I think this is part of it. And, you know, honestly, what's weird about working in this environment is you're in numerical terms, you're working for what is essentially a floating corporation that has no HR department that is subject to the whims of the captain or the owner and some combination of it at the same time, though, it can be to some of them, quite a nice environment. You're- you're- almost literally insulated from the worries of life on land. And so you can kind of get lulled into this sense of, all right, today it's the Mediterranean, next week it's The Caribbean. But then you try to transition from that into the quote unquote real world. And as some former crew members have said to me, it becomes very hard to explain to anybody outside of that what you've been doing for the last. Audie Cornish 00:06:28 And not just because you're legally not allowed. Right. To face it, you have to sign an NDA. Evan Osnos 00:06:34 Yeah! Audie Cornish 00:06:34 I'm getting lulled into the conversation because the sound of your voice is very nice, but then there's lines in the book about like the petty tyranny people live under and the psychotherapist who's like made a business out of talking to the poor people who have worked in these places. Evan Osnos 00:06:51 I spoke to one therapist in particular who had been a crew member on yachts and then she got into the work of therapy. She went to school and trained and then her first cohort that she specialized in were actually incarcerated people. She, and then, she discovered that having worked with captive populations that it was quite well suited to working with crew members because there are some things in common and, you know, she saw the irony in that. And there is a... World that is, frankly, and this applies to so much about the superyacht world, that is just beyond the horizon of our awareness in regular life. It is in all kinds of ways. Unbound by the laws that we live our normal lives under. I mean, almost literally. And if you're in international waters, if you are in the waters of some small island state that has a prime minister who might be friends, let's be honest with the owner of that yacht, you can find yourself in quite perilous straights when it comes to trying to. You know, let's say you've been mistreated at work, for instance, when you're working on it. Yeah, it can be very hard to try to see. Audie Cornish 00:08:10 Like you failed to switch out the supplies of the incoming affair partner in the bedroom. Evan Osnos 00:08:17 You are a close reader of the book. Audie Cornish 00:08:21 I am a close reader, because I'm like, oh, the Coldplay situation's got nothing on this. Like, this is insane. You're getting your fancy melons helicoptered to you, and then you're getting your lover's helicopter to you. But then the whole ship, everyone is arranging the world to the way they need it to be. Right. It's like their own little Lego land. And they can move the people and move the pieces. And I know it sounds weird that I'm obsessed with this. But I feel like there is a clue in there about why the tech billionaires have suddenly gravitated to this space as well. Evan Osnos 00:09:00 You're right about that. I think that if you are somebody, for instance, let's just speak theoretically. Let's say you've invented a company as a teenager, you dropped out of college halfway through and have spent, okay, let's forget the theoretical. I'm talking about Mark Zuckerberg. You've been able to then build your world around you, literally handpicking your lieutenants, building a company that reflects your values. In Zuckerberg's case, to give you a very... Concrete example, the reason why Facebook is blue, that very distinct royal blue, is because he is red, green colorblind. And so he created a world that quite literally suits his preferences and avoids his blind spots. And I think you can take that example in the most superficial way, the design aesthetic, and you can apply it more broadly to his perception of how society functions, of what friendship means, of how people want to build connections, of what the definition of hate speech is, of how violence travels through cultures. I mean, that is what his life has been. And it shouldn't surprise us that he has also, in the last couple of years, taken ownership of a yacht. According to the yacht trade press, he got it for a relative bargain in the 300 million range. And so somebody who has had that professional experience can now transport that same level of absolute control into their social and vacation life. Audie Cornish 00:10:37 But isn't their obsession with being in our world a reflection of the limits of that power? Or, I don't know, or what happens when their own greed and psychology takes over, right? Like Bezos is not content to be a silent kabillionaire. New wife has to be in vogue, they have to have a wedding that has, like, every actor in it, whether they know them or not. Even Zuckerberg, all of a sudden being Mr. UFC guy. Like, they're actually not content with the power that they have. And I know I sound really biased talking like this, but I'm really wrestling with it, because I don't know how it's different from, like, the actual Gilded Age, the period of history we call the Gild'd Age, but there's something that does feel different. Evan Osnos 00:11:25 'I have to tell you, the word that you just used is really the central idea of this project, contentment, or more importantly, the lack of contentment. What we find is that, and this is true both in our own lives in kind of small ways, and then it becomes simply truer when you get more zeros attached, that there is a level of unsatiability that is- Defined really by the competition and the sense of status competition that goes on between people So we might say to one another how could anybody who has already accumulated all of the possible You know toys and trappings and luxuries that a human being could ever seek to want Why do they then try to surround themselves with celebrities who they scarcely really know and is you know, what? How fulfilling could that really be? Well, because that person, if we're talking about the Bezos newlyweds, they are seeking to be in a way that perhaps they don't even fully appreciate, satisfied by the idea of being surrounded by the most famous and wealthy people in the world. For them, that's become, for the moment, at least. The threshold that they're seeking to cross. I think when I talk about insatiability, I mean that there is a level, and this has been true to human beings. And I think it's been a subject of some focus in faith traditions going back as long as history has existed. The idea that you may never find yourself satisfied with the earthly delights, no matter how many you accumulate. But we're living in a moment when you can actually see people trying to satisfy that place in their lives with objects that are as distinct and visible as a super yacht on the high seas. Audie Cornish 00:13:33 More of my conversation with Evan Osnos in just a moment. Stay with me. Audie Cornish 00:13:41 We've known each other for a while. Our families know each other. Evan Osnos 00:13:45 That's right. Audie Cornish 00:13:45 And the weird thing about being friends in America, I think is, well, maybe other countries too. We've never talked about money. I now know more about you and your history with money than in all the time we've known each other and it's weird because we're all doing a version of this aspirational dance. Evan Osnos 00:14:07 That's true. Audie Cornish 00:14:08 But nobody is honest about where their supplies come from. And I'm not saying that about you, but I remember reading a review of the book where someone made a joke that it seems though you could pass. Like that you visited this boat, you visited this world, but that you're not the kind of guy they would turn away. Evan Osnos 00:14:31 Yeah. Audie Cornish 00:14:32 There's aspects of you and your life and background that like fit. And I was wondering what that was like for you to read. Evan Osnos 00:14:40 In my case, my life is this combination of two very distinct experiences of money. I mean, on my mom's side, I come from a kind of Midwestern waspy family where nobody ever talked about money. There was always a sense that there was enough in the background, but it was a very kind of, you would make a point of try to do it subtly. So it was, there was a lot of, shall we say, kind of. Threadbare cuffs. And then on the other side of my family, which is my dad's side, were descended from Jewish Polish refugees from Europe. I mean my grandfather was one of seven siblings and he's the only one that survived World War II. And so they came to this country with nothing and so had a very different experience of trying to rebuild a world that had been destroyed. And for them, that meant actually, no, you should try to get into the best apartment you possibly can. And I remember they spent $40,000 on an apartment in New York City and then over the years built up as much as they could of the things that have been lost, you know, the books, the carpets, the artwork that was some of it fake, some of real. And it was this collision of these two very different cultures of money that for me felt like it reflected different elements that coexist in the American relationship. Audie Cornish 00:16:11 Oh no you don't, New Yorker. What did it mean for you? How did you feel as a kid? Evan Osnos 00:16:17 I guess I felt both of those elements in my life. I feel frankly kind of at home in both. I mean, I think the idea that I can be comfortable in a place where there is either an allergy to talking about money, meaning it's all kind of right there in the background and nobody does it very explicitly. Or, you know, you get into this world where it's much more overt. It's funny, you though, because in my family, Nobody really was in the money business, particularly. My mother worked for a human rights organization. My dad was a book publisher, but we were working around the edges always of, I was very conscious of the money that was in our atmosphere. I grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, outside of New York City, which is a very rich suburb. Audie Cornish 00:17:05 I was about to say, that's a lot of money in the atmosphere. Evan Osnos 00:17:07 Exactly. And I remember kind of being very alert to the subtle distinctions of class, you know, what did it mean to be if you were in private school or public school, you know what kind of cars people were driving and, you know. Audie Cornish 00:17:24 And it's like a weird, I joke that you learn to code switch. Evan Osnos 00:17:28 Yeah. Audie Cornish 00:17:29 Like for me, I was a kid in a working class community, but we were immigrants. But more importantly, I was bussed at one point to this community out in Massachusetts that has like very expensive high school. And that's when I sort of learned the tiers of class, right? It was like, I'm getting bussed to this place, which is supposed to be so great, but like, oh, public school, you know, like the people there are like, you're going to the public school. Evan Osnos 00:17:54 Right. Audie Cornish 00:17:55 'And then there's another other whole world of private school, and Volvos, and NPR, and all of these. Even reading the New Yorker, I didn't, Evan Osnos, I did not read or pick up or see the New Yorker until I was in my mid-20s and I was a working journalist. I did no know there was a whole world people who like tore out the covers and put them inside their cabins, right? Evan Osnos 00:18:20 Yeah. Audie Cornish 00:18:20 And the reason why I'm so obsessed with this is like For you, like, can you code switch or have you crossed over? Like, have you reached the point where you're so fully in this world that it's hard to remember what it was like to struggle? Evan Osnos 00:18:35 'It's very much a code-switching experience in the sense that I feel like part of that, and I, at this point, you know, I'm 48 years old and so it's hard for me to know what is a product of my professional life, which in our business is so kind of complete. And I've spent my life as a foreign correspondent and a national correspondent, and that's different. For people who are outside of our business, I don't think they know, that's different than being like a lifer in Washington who covers that world and is like a part of that world. Like when you're a correspondent, you dip into different worlds and you try desperately to have them not kick you out. That is what it means to be a correspondent. And in a way, that's how I've spent my adult life in, whether it's in China or in the Middle East, or it didn't feel that different than when it came time to go to the Palm Beach International Boat Show and sort of sidle up to people and start chatting with them about boats. And the reality is, I had never, I don't know, the first, before this, I'd never been on a yacht. I had no knowledge of it. Audie Cornish 00:19:39 Yeah, but I went to a book party and someone came up. And mention they had a boat, maybe. And you were like, ah, how many sails? And I was like, Evan? Evan? Como? Who is this? Evan Osnos 00:19:53 Yeah! 00:19:53 What is this party? And I remember even feeling there like, oh, it's funny, all these people don't think they're rich, right? Like they're adjacent to their own thing that seems out of reach for people. Given all this writing you've done in this area. Given the conversations I assume you must have had with your parents after the book came out, if this kind of came around, how are you addressing wealth with your kids? Evan Osnos 00:20:25 I really do find myself, and I think this is something that applies even to people who haven't written books on these topics, is like I was talking with my daughter this morning and I was talking to her about how we have to try to separate out what she admires of Taylor Swift for talent and what she admirers of Taylor Swift, for this phenomenon of fame that is such a, I think, really dangerous seduction for kids right now. We're trying to parse it out. And, you know, she'll roll her eyes at me. She's seven and she's like, all right, daddy, whatever. But I just want to be friends with Taylor Swift. But I'm like, yeah, but let's, let's focus. I'm Like, some of this is, is a celebration of art, of artistic power and of her ability to speak to people and to, to connect to their experience. And then there's this other thing, which is right now, our society is celebrating to an unhealthy effect of money, power, and fame. And I think I am trying to talk to them about it in a way that hopefully makes some of this seem like it's not God knows about the objects, but is about what it says about our society, which we care about. Audie Cornish 00:21:37 'And about responsibility. And I think that has been one of the things I've struggled with to say, because my kids are growing up in a house bigger than the house I grew up in. I grew in rental apartments. And they are completely like, yeah, this is how life is. This is how we roll. And I'm like, uh-uh, little prince. Evan Osnos 00:22:01 Yeah. Audie Cornish 00:22:02 'There's an old school version that's like, this ain't your house, this isn't my house. You know, like, you're- But there's also a version that says, what's the responsibility of having this? And I know this sounds far off from where we started, but that's one of the things I think that most of us who are now maybe polling a little less interested in the billionaire class, it's that sense that they feel no responsibility to the rest of us, right? Like I'm gonna get on my boat and I'm going to do things to the environment and when something goes wrong, I'm to go to space. It feels very far philanthropy age and all this other stuff. And somehow I have to tell my kid, like you can invent something and be incredible. And also you then have a responsibility to the people around you just because, right? And I literally have to explain that because I don't see anyone modeling it. Evan Osnos 00:22:55 It is exactly the era that we find ourselves in and people have described it in different terms somebody described it as noblesse without oblige this idea that we're in this period when suddenly the there is a celebration of the accumulation and absolutely no talk about what are the obligations to society that come with that power and that's a dangerous evolution in culture. And so part of the what's happening now is that you've got all of these little aspiring Elon Musk's out there, you know, who have, they're building their fortunes. They're somewhere in Silicon Valley. We haven't even heard their names yet. And yet they are patterning themselves after individuals who have made it pretty clear that they don't see much commitment or responsibility to the thriving of a broader society. And I think part of the reason to document it in this kind of detail, it's sort of the anatomy of this culture, is to then be able to say, when we look back on this period, or even frankly in the present, is this really the way we want to be applying the wealth of society that's been accumulated into the hands of a tiny number of people? Is this really how we think it should be used as a culture? That's a plastic matter. That's something that can change with public acceptance or rejection and public pressure, and it can change internally too. You know, I remember once a CEO of a company in Silicon Valley saying to me, the thing I hate most about Silicon Valley is the conversations that people have about where we'll go in the event of a collapse of society, even if it's our own doing, he said. You know when that happens, I want to say to people, well, if you're so concerned about the pitchforks, what are you doing? To help the homeless in your community. And I think that there is a way in which talking about it, making explicit, putting it out into public view, what is usually shielded from view, is part of the process of pressure testing it. Audie Cornish 00:25:04 That was Evan Osnos, journalist with The New Yorker and the author of "The Have and The Have Yachts" a book of essays that is out now. I want to thank you for listening, please do rate and review the show, definitely share it, it really helps. And I'll see you next week.
Forbes
12 minutes ago
- Forbes
Darth Vader's Lightsaber Is Expected To Fetch $3 Million At Auction
Darth Vader's primary duelling lightsaber is expected to sell for as much as $3 million when it goes up for auction in Los Angeles in September. The item, used in the climactic battle of both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, is the crown jewel in the Propstore sale. Photo-matched to the pivotal scenes in sci-fi classics, the iconic item is the only verified "hero" Vader lightsaber ever to come to market. It's one of over 1,000 lots that will go under the hammer at the sale, which will take place at The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on Thursday, September 4, 2025. The items in the Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction have an estimated total value of $10 million. Anyone wanting to catch a glimpse of movie history before the action will be able to see the lightsaber as part of a press tour that will stop in London, New York, and Beverly Hills in August. Propstore auctions have a long history of getting top dollar for Star Wars items. In 2022, a screen-matched X-wing fighter miniature used in the first film sold for $2.3 million. In 2024, the company also sold the private collection of C3-PO himself, Anthony Daniels. However, they are not the only ones to be handling these items. A Stormtrooper stunt helmet from Star Wars: A New Hope recently sold for $256,000 at an event organized by Julien's Auctions and Turner Classic Movies at San Diego's Comic-Con Museum. Described as the world's most extensive collection of Star Wars items, the lots were pulled together via various collectors, fans, and franchise insiders. Collectors Assemble For the Super Propstore Auction "We've assembled one of the most impressive selections of authentic props and costumes ever brought to market - pieces of genuine cultural history that continue to inspire awe decades after their debut," enthuses Brandon Alinger, Propstore COO, looking ahead to their September event. "Whether it's the craftsmanship of an original Batsuit, the power of a Star Wars lightsaber, each item tells a story. We're proud to offer this exceptional collection and to give collectors and fans a rare opportunity to claim a tangible piece of the films and shows that shaped our imaginations." The Batsuit Alinger refers to is the second most highly priced lot in the auction. Worn by Michael Keaton in director Tim Burton's 1989 classic comic book movie, Batman, the costume, described as being "exceptional quality," has an estimate of $250,000 to $500,000 (£186,567 to £373,134). The item expected to go for the third-highest sum is Indiana Jones' eight-foot bullwhip, belt, and whip holster used by Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. That is expected to find a new home for between $250,000 and $500,000 (£186,567 to £373,134). Movie Fans Will Marvel At The Some Of The Propstore Auction Lots Batman is far from the only superhero represented in the auction. Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man costume from the 2002 movie is expected to swing to a new owner for $100,000 to $200,000 (£76,627 to £149,253). Also looking to get in on the action is a production-made Deadpool mask which comes with a $12,000 to $24,000 price tag (£8,955 to £17,910) and at a slightly higher price point, Captain America's shield as used by Chris Evans in Avengers: Age of Ultron is set to assemble in a new secret headquarters for somewhere in the region of $60,000 to $120,000 (£44,776 to £89,552) Sci-fi fans continue to be well served with items from Star Trek: The Next Generation up for grabs, as well as Ellen Ripley's practical SFX M240 flamethrower from Aliens, which has an estimated sale price of between $125,000 and $250,000 (£93,283 to £186,567). At the same time, someone will hopefully remember bidding on a screen-matched light-up hero close-up neuralyzer from 1997's Men in Black, which has a price tag of $75,000 to $150,000 (£55,970 to £111,940). If classic Hollywood sci-fi is more your style, then Jane Fonda's screen and photo-matched costume from Barbarella will probably catch your attention. That has an estimated sale price of $20,000 to $40,000 (£14,925 to £29,850). Staying with classic Hollywood and landmark movies, perfectly timed for the film's 50th anniversary, a shark tooth clapperboard from Jaws will likely be snapped up for between $40,000 and $80,000 (£29,850 and £59,700). Propstore's three-day Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction kicks off at 10:00 AM PDT / 6:00 PM BST each day. The first day of the auction features in-room bidding open to the public at The Petersen Automotive, while subsequent days are online bidding only. Global online, absentee, and telephone bids will be accepted throughout the event, and registration is now open. Once registered, you'll be able to check out the other 9,980-plus items that are also listed in the auction.
Fox News
12 minutes ago
- Fox News
The Quiz #483
Red and blue are two primary colors. What's the third? Play. Share. Listen with Orlando Magic forward & founder of UNITUS, Jonathan Isaac .
